The Why Files » Matter, energy, and organization in living systems http://whyfiles.org The Science Behind The News Thu, 24 May 2012 18:21:37 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Tales of the whales http://whyfiles.org/2010/tales-of-the-whales/ http://whyfiles.org/2010/tales-of-the-whales/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:28:43 +0000 admin http://whyfiles.org/?p=8705 http://whyfiles.org/2010/tales-of-the-whales/feed/ 0 Assembly-lines don’t work for ants! http://whyfiles.org/2008/assembly-lines-dont-work-for-ants/ http://whyfiles.org/2008/assembly-lines-dont-work-for-ants/#comments Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:37:13 +0000 schulte http://whyfiles.org/?p=1074 Specialization may work in factories, but it does not make ant colonies more efficient. As the conventional wisdom about social insects goes topsy-turvy, what’s an ecologist to think?

]]> http://whyfiles.org/2008/assembly-lines-dont-work-for-ants/feed/ 0 “Store that fat” says new gene. Is obesity explained? http://whyfiles.org/2007/store-that-fat-says-new-gene-is-obesity-explained/ http://whyfiles.org/2007/store-that-fat-says-new-gene-is-obesity-explained/#comments Thu, 20 Dec 2007 23:18:46 +0000 schulte http://whyfiles.org/?p=1030 New discovery shows how all animals store fat in cells, could lead to advances in fight against obesity or diabetes. Funny, maybe storing fat is a good thing.

]]> http://whyfiles.org/2007/store-that-fat-says-new-gene-is-obesity-explained/feed/ 0 Music and speech http://whyfiles.org/2007/music-and-speech-an-intimate-relationship/ http://whyfiles.org/2007/music-and-speech-an-intimate-relationship/#comments Thu, 07 Jun 2007 21:13:20 +0000 schulte http://whyfiles.org/?p=995 Most music is built on the 12-tone “chromatic” scale. Does this reflect chance, or the basic structure of the human voice? New study finds tight link between pronunciation and musical scale.

]]> http://whyfiles.org/2007/music-and-speech-an-intimate-relationship/feed/ 0 Flying with bats http://whyfiles.org/2007/flying-with-bats/ http://whyfiles.org/2007/flying-with-bats/#comments Thu, 10 May 2007 19:17:28 +0000 schulte http://whyfiles.org/?p=989 New study shows how they stay aloft, turn on a dime. Freeze-frame pix of bats flying show unexpectedly complex flight patterns. Meet evolution’s second answer to the problem of vertebrate flight.

]]> http://whyfiles.org/2007/flying-with-bats/feed/ 0 New Trick for Water Pistol of the Sea http://whyfiles.org/2006/new-trick-for-water-pistol-of-the-sea/ http://whyfiles.org/2006/new-trick-for-water-pistol-of-the-sea/#comments Thu, 12 Oct 2006 19:26:27 +0000 schulte http://whyfiles.org/?p=922 How’s a hungry fish supposed to make a living in the shallow water below tropical mangrove trees?

]]> http://whyfiles.org/2006/new-trick-for-water-pistol-of-the-sea/feed/ 0 Nobel Prizefight http://whyfiles.org/2003/nobel-prizefight/ http://whyfiles.org/2003/nobel-prizefight/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2003 20:54:46 +0000 schulte http://whyfiles.org/?p=551 http://whyfiles.org/2003/nobel-prizefight/feed/ 0 Extinction: The Danger of Being Big! http://whyfiles.org/2001/extinction-and-size/ http://whyfiles.org/2001/extinction-and-size/#comments Fri, 16 Nov 2001 21:17:07 +0000 schulte http://whyfiles.org/?p=529 http://whyfiles.org/2001/extinction-and-size/feed/ 0 Earthworms Wrecking Forests? http://whyfiles.org/2000/earthworms/ http://whyfiles.org/2000/earthworms/#comments Thu, 31 Aug 2000 16:42:31 +0000 schulte http://whyfiles.org/?p=615 http://whyfiles.org/2000/earthworms/feed/ 0